“For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.” Philippians 1:29-30 (NASB)
At the time that the Apostle Paul wrote this he knew what suffering for the sake of Jesus Christ was like. In Philippi, a Roman colony, a decision to follow Christ could bring severe social, economic, and legal consequences. Paul tells us to remember how he was treated in Philippi (Acts 17). He and Silas were beaten and thrown into the jail. Paul calls it a conflict and when it happens it is just that. We find our self in conflict between our message of salvation in Christ alone and the evil opposition of the world we live in. Opposition to the message of Jesus is growing and followers of Christ will experience conflict. We know it has been granted to us with a promise from Jesus that if we are in service to Him, we will encounter suffering. It will be for His sake and the sake of His name. We know too His promise that He is the one who is working our salvation to its completion. God is with us in all we do for Him.
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